Whispers, Stars, and a Corpse Dangling from a Tree in the Night
by GlitteringGold
Summary: The medicine cats of Leafclan, Summitclan, and Meadowclan were due to meet at the Moonpool at the half moon gathering - but the medicine cat of Leafclan was nowhere to be found, only his frantic apprentice appeared, running for their life.
1. Prologue and Allegiances

**Prologue + Allegiances**

"I'm tired," A dark ginger she-cat remarked before yawning, "I'm tired of waiting."  
"We have to wait." A white furred cat with one grey paw decided. "Although I do have to admit it's unusual for Boulderbreeze to be late."  
"Perhaps he didn't realise it was the half-moon tonight." the she-cat chuckled at the thought. "Knowing him he's still asleep!"  
"Shush, don't be rude, Foxheart!" The tom purred, but he was grinning as he playfully batted Foxheart on the shoulder.  
Foxheart pouted, before lying down in front of the moonpool. "Why can't we just start without him, Stonefoot? We have different dreams after all."  
"It is the will of Starclan that all medicine cats should be present at the half moon gathering." Stonefoot reminded her, Foxheart only let out a huff in response.

They stayed in silence for a long moment, to the point where the only sound you could hear was the gentle blowing of the wind ruffling up her fur slightly. Foxheart tilted her head upwards so she could see the glowing stars in the night sky. They were sitting there so peacefully, calmly, She felt her eyelids growing heavier and slapped her face with her paw to wake herself up. This action got a peculiar look from Stonefoot.

She opened her mouth to explain before they were interrupted by the sound of rustling from a nearby bush. Both cats quickly whipped their heads round and were met with the sight of Patchpaw, Boulderbreeze's apprentice, running frantically towards them. The apprentice skidded to a halt, and Foxheart and Stonefoot quickly noticed Patchpaw had a large claw mark on her shoulder that was oozing blood.

Foxheart quickly darted off to the bushes to search for some herbs that she could use to treat the wound. Meanwhile Stonefoot attempted to console Patchpaw once he noticed she was frantically trembling. "It's okay, it's okay. Tell me, where else are you hurt besides that shoulder?" He asked as he circled around the apprentice, searching for more injuries.

"I.. no.." She gasped loudly in between her words.  
"Try and calm down, take deep-"  
Stonefoot was cut off when Patchpaw's violently trembling legs gave way and she collapsed on the dirty ground underneath her. Foxheart had just returned with herbs clenched in her jaws, giving Stonefoot a worried look after she saw the apprentice on the ground.

Foxheart quickly got to work, "I.. just managed to find some comfrey root to soothe the wound." She told Stonefoot quietly. "It's the best I could find."  
Stonefoot nodded slowly, he was attentively looking in the distance. "Keep quiet." he warned Foxheart in a whisper. "Whatever harmed Patchpaw might still be nearby."  
Foxheart shuddered at the thought, keeping as silent as she could as she chewed the roots into a poultice. She began applying it, until suddenly her ears pricked and she snapped her head round to face Stonefoot.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, a little above a whisper. "If Patchpaw's here then... where's Boulderbreeze?"

* * *

**ALLEGIANCES **

**Leafclan**

_Leader_  
Duskstar - Skinny black tom with a white patch on his chest and amber eyes

_Deputy_  
Goldensun - Cream, long haired she-cat with piercing blue eyes

_Medicine cat_  
Boulderbreeze - Brown tabby tom

_Medicine cat apprentice_  
Patchpaw - Calico, short haired she-cat

_Warriors_

Silversky - Grey long haired tabby tom  
Cloudpool - Solid white tom with light blue eyes (Apprentice: Poppypaw)  
Lightningblaze - Small ginger tabby tom  
Oakclaw - Large, long haired brown tabby tom  
Jaggedpelt - Solid brown she-cat with green eyes (Apprentice: Echopaw)  
Hailstorm - Solid grey tom with amber eyes  
Hareleap - Ginger tabby tom with white patches(Apprentice: Breezepaw)  
Brackentail - Black and white she-cat

_Apprentices_

Poppypaw - Grey she-cat with darker flecks  
Echopaw - Grey dappled she-cat  
Breezepaw - Skinny cream tom with brown tipped tail and ears

_Queens_

Ravenwing - Long furred black she-cat with blue eyes (Expecting Silversky's kits)  
Lavenderheart - Light brown and white tabby she-cat (Expecting Oakclaw's kits)

_Elders_

Smokestream - Half-blind long haired black and white tom  
Missingear - White and grey tom with half an ear

**Summitclan**

_Leader_  
Lionstar - Golden, muscular long haired tom

_Deputy_  
Silentsong - Cream she-cat

_Medicine cat_  
Foxheart - Dark ginger short haired she-cat with green eyes

_Medicine cat apprentice_  
Hazelflight - Light brown tabby she-cat

_Warriors_

Gorsefang - Dark brown tabby tom  
Sootfur - Grey tom with green eyes  
Icestripe - White she-cat with grey stripes

**Meadowclan**

_Leader_  
Nettlestar - Brown tortoiseshell she-cat

_Deputy_  
Thornfur - Black tom with amber eyes

_Medicine cat_  
Stonefoot - White tom with one grey paw

_Warriors_

Flamefeather - Ginger tabby she-cat  
Sandpool - Cream furred she-cat  
Darkleaf - Black tom with green eyes

**Cats outside the clans**

Rose - A long haired, beautiful, dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes. Once a kittypet who turned into a loner.  
Biscuit - A light ginger tom - a kittypet


	2. A Peculiar Night

Stonefoot stared at Foxheart. "That's what I want to find out." He answered, beginning to walk slowly ahead.  
"Where are you going?" Foxheart hissed, "are you stupid? Don't go looking for him alone!"  
"You need to stay here and tend to Patchpaw, I'll go and investigate." He responded.  
"No, you mousebrain!" She snapped. "We don't know what attacked her! It could have been a fox!"  
Stonefoot stopped walking, turning back round to examine Pathpaw's wound. "That.. doesn't look like it came from a fox, if that was anything it'd be.."  
There was a pause. "From another cat." Foxheart finished off the sentence for him.  
"Perhaps a rogue." Stonefoot quickly growled. "When I get my claws on them I'll-"  
"Easy there, Stonefoot, calm yourself." Foxheart meowed. She got up when she finished applying the poultice, staring sympathetically down at Patchpaw. "We need to take her back to Leafclan."  
Stonefoot, hesitantly and slowly, nodded.

* * *

They were a few fox lengths away from Leafclan's camp when Patchpaw began to stir. Patchpaw, with the assistance of Stonefoot, managed to stand up weakly, leaning on his shoulder for support.  
"Hey, you okay, little scrap?" Foxheart asked, trying to make Patchpaw feel more comfortable with the nickname.  
Patchpaw didn't repsond in anyway, she stared into the distance with glazed eyes.  
"Come on, it's okay, you can speak!" Foxheart was trying to hide her impatience when Pathcpaw still didn't respond.  
"Leave it." Stonefoot told her. "She'll speak when she's ready." With the help of Foxheart and Stonefoot, Patchpaw began to step forward, with her face just as blank as ever. They couldn't have walked more slower, and on the occasion Stonefoot would have to use his shoulder to lift up Patchpaw each time she stumbled.

* * *

They finally reached the camp, walking through the entrance left in a wall of brambles. Foxheart's fur bristled a little when she realised she was in another clan's territory, despite the fact that as a medicine cat she did have free reign. Stonefoot seemed more confident, not hesitating to step deeper into camp. "Go alert Duskstar." He told Foxheart.

Foxheart gulped. Of course Stonefoot would give this job to her. She stared hopelessly at Duskstar's den, and she could practically feel his cold and calculating demeanour clawing at her fur even from here. "I think I'll just talk to Goldensun instead." She said quickly, running off to the warrior's den.

Foxheart had to carefully weave between the sleeping warriors to avoid waking them all up. She at one point stood on the warrior Silversky's tail, but besides from his ear twitching he showed no sign of getting up, and she sighed in relief. Eventually, she reached Goldensun, and gently prodded her shoulder. The deputy took a few moments before her eyes blinked open, "F-Foxheart?" Goldensun asked groggily, "what are you doing here at this time of night?"  
"Patchpaw is hurt." Foxheart told the deputy. "We took her here, Boulderbreeze is nowhere to be found."

At that moment, it was like all of Goldensun's tiredness vanished, and she quickly leapt up. "Oakclaw, Lightningblaze, and Jaggedpelt! We need to go and look for Boulderbreeze!" She called loudly. All the cats in the warriors den were jolted awake, shaking their pelts.  
"What happened?" The small ginger tom named Lightningblaze asked, already getting ready to dash out of the entrance.  
"I don't know the exact details!" Goldensun meowed, "we just need to hurry!"  
Lightningblaze nodded and ran outside, with Goldensun, Jaggedpelt, and Oakclaw following behind. Foxheart found herself immediately interrogated by the other warriors as to what was happening, but she quickly excused herself by saying she needed to tend to Patchpaw and also ran out of the den.

* * *

She froze when she noticed that Duskstar was outside, the leader had stopped Goldensun in her tracks. Her tail was twitching impatiently as Duskstar spoke to her, but soon he whispered in her ear, causing her to calm down and instead give her leader a nod of understanding. Foxheart was unable to pick up on what Duskstar said, but she did hear Goldensun saying "I'll be cautious." before turning to the patrol ready at the entrance. "Off to the Moonpool!" Goldensun told her patrol, "there's no time to dawdle, Boulderbreeze needs us!" The four cats sprinted out of camp, and Foxheart stood and watched them from the middle of the camp.

"Lavenderheart knows about some herbs, she's offered to look after after Patchpaw - she's just putting some cobweb on her wound now." Foxheart jumped when she heard Stonefoot's voice again. "We should be going back to our clans, so much for the half moon gathering."

Foxheart nodded, and they both turned towards the entrance to find Duskstar sitting there and blocking the way. "You're in my camp, you will leave when I say." He told them quietly, barely more than a whisper, his facial expression remaining stoic. Both the medicine cat's fur prickled uncomfortably, Duskstar coming off as intimidating once again just by his strangely calm but ice cold posture and demeanour. Stonefoot was opening his mouth to retort- but the slight glare Duskstar gave him was enough to make him immediately dip his head in respect. "Is there... anything we can do to help?" Foxheart noticed Stonefoot's voice quiver.

"Continue helping with Patchpaw." He commanded them calmly. The two medicine cats quickly nodded and headed to the medicine den.  
"Duskstar gives me the creeps." Foxheart admitted, her fur still standing on end. Stonefoot nodded in agreement.

* * *

Lightningblaze shot ahead of the rest of the patrol, the bigger cats a few paces behind him. "Wait, Lightningblaze!" Goldensun called after the small tom. "We can't be reckless, Duskstar warned me that this might be a way of the other clans luring us into a trap!"  
"Surely they won't stoop that low?" Oakclaw suddenly spoke in his deep voice. "I'd be surprised if they'd use a half-moon gathering for a chance to attack. Starclan won't be pleased."  
"Even so, we need to be careful in case we run right into a pack of dogs or foxes!" Jaggedpelt added in.  
"Exactly," Goldensun agreed, "we need to stay together, be cautious, and most of all - save Boulderbreeze! We can do this together!"

The patrol were motivated by Goldensun's encouragement, and they picked up the pace. Goldensun's paws battered endlessly against the leaves and dirt beneath her, and her heart felt like it was going to explode at any moment - but all that mattered was saving Boulderbreeze.

* * *

The patrol quickly halted once they reached the moonpool, taking a moment to catch their breaths. Lightningblaze recovered the quickest - and noticed a small blood patch on the ground, he called out frantically to the rest of the patrol when he found it, but Oakclaw pointed out that it was probably from Patchpaw's shoulder wound.

As it was soon evident that Boulderbreeze was nowhere to be found - Goldensun directed each cat to search more in the undergrowth. She made Oakclaw and Lightningblaze take the left side of the bushes, and she and Jaggedpelt would take the right. She warned everyone to stay alert, and after they all nodded in agreement - she allowed them to go their separate ways.

Goldensun and Jaggedpelt stalked silently amongst the bushes, keeping low to the ground. They couldn't afford to draw attention to themsleves. Goldensun would barely let herself breathe as she made her way through the undergrowth.

To her horror, she suddenly turned around to look behind her and realised that Jaggedpelt was not by her side anymore. She had been so focused on being silent she completely forgot to look out for Jaggedpelt. "Jaggedpelt?" she called in a whisper. "Jaggedpelt, where are you?"

Her whispers were becoming more frantic and desperate, and she forgot to be cautious with her movements. Several twigs snapped under her feat, breaking the silence of the night and causing her to flinch.

"Goldensun?"  
The deputy sighed in relief when she recognised Jaggedpelt's voice nearby. She began walking towards it. "G-Goldensun? Goldensun!" Jaggedpelt's whispered cries were now becoming a shout as she started to become desperate, and Goldensun grew worried, speeding up her paw steps until Jaggedpelt was finally in sight.

"Jaggedpelt! What's-"

It was as if all the breath was snatched out of Goldensun's lungs. Her eyes widened with a combination of shock and terror - and she felt locked in place. Paralysed. Unable to look away from the horrible sight no matter how much she tried. She tried to speak several times, but no sounds would leave her throat.

"It's... Boulderbreeze." Jaggedpelt finally meowed, her voice seemed weak due to shock. "Who would do something like this?" Her voice cracked.

Goldensun didn't have an answer for her. She was asking herself the same thing as small drops of blood dropped into a puddle below. The limp cat body stared down at her with glassy, dull eyes as it dangled helplessly from the tree branch by a slit in the neck. His fur was stained and matted, oozing with crimson liquid. The mouth stretched open as if the cat was screaming, but no sound came out. The only sign of movement was how the lower half of his body would sway in the breeze.


End file.
